Organization that helps city dog owners continues to grow

7:08 PM,
Nov. 23, 2012

From left, owner Anniece Strickland of Rochester and Eric Neu of Irondequoit both watch as Billy Shaheen, right, of Webster introduces Brutis to his new doghouse on Sunday. The doghouse was provided by PAWS.

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The Humane Society had been around several times, and the mandate to Shavette Balkman was becoming clear: Get your dog a cleaner place to live, or she will be taken away.

But one day, a man showed up on her front step offering to help. He gave Balkman a doghouse, some bedding and some food for her young pit bull, Jada. He also saw that Jada was a sweet and loving dog who happened to have a lot of energy, and showed Balkman that with just a little bit of training, Jada could become a model canine citizen.

"He took Jada and walked with her, and showed if you take the harness across into your other hand and just ...